Adjustable-taper mold for continuous casting



Aug. 21, 1962 R. A. SCHULTZ 3,049,769

ADJUSTABLE-TAPER MOLD FOR CONTINUOUS CASTING Filed July 14, 1961 3Sheets-Sheet 1 //Vl E/VT0A ROBERT A. SCHULTZ Attorney Aug. 21, 1962 R.A. SCHULTZ ADJUSTABLE-TAPER MOLD FOR CONTINUOUS CASTING 3 Sheets-Sheet 2Filed July 14, 1961 lNVE/VTOR ROBERT A. SCHULTZ A fforney Aug. 21, 1962R. A. SCHULTZ 3,049,759

ADJUSTABLE-TAPER MOLD FOR CONTINUOUS CASTING Filed July 14, 1961 3Sheets-Sheet 3 Ill! INVENTOR ROBERT A. SCflULTZ y Aflorney United StatesPatent Ofiice 3,@49,1h9 Patented Aug. 21, 1952 3,949,769 ADJUTABLE=TAFEEMoan non CQNTENUQUS CASTENG Robert A. ciiultz, Penn Hills Township,Ailegheny County, Pa., assignor to United States Steel Corporation, acorporation of New .lersey Filed July 14, 1961, er. No. 124,73 Claims.(Ci. 22-145) This invention relates to a mold for continuous castingand, in particular, to a mold of rectangular section havingindependently adjustable walls, whereby a tapered mold cavity may beformed and the degree of taper thereof varied.

Tapered molds have special advantages for continuous casting. Theoptimum degree of taper, however, varies with conditions such as thepouring rate, the volume of coolant applied, etc. It is therefore theobject of my invention to provide a mold having walls adjustable todifferent inclined positions, thereby affording the possibility ofvarying the degree of taper of the mold cavity.

In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the walls of a mold ofrectangular section are supported independently on a hemisphericalhearing which is itself adjustable toward and from the axis of the moldcavity. The walls are secured together adjacent their edges and meansare provided for effecting movement of one relative to the others. Thewalls are of metal of high thermal conductivity, such as copper, backedup by steel plates having passages therein for coolant liquid.

A complete understanding of the invention may be obtained from thefollowing detailed description and explanation which refer to theaccompanying drawings illustrating the present preferred embodiment. Inthe drawings:

FIGURE 1 is a plan view;

FIGURE 2 is a side elevation;

FIGURE 3 is a longitudinal section taken along the plane of line IIIIIIof FIGURE 1.

Referring now in detail to the drawings, my improved mold, indicatedgenerally at 10, is supported below the teeming vessel and above thecasting receiving means (not shown) on a framework comprising spacedbeams 11 and girders 12 extending therebetween. The mold comprises foursimilar wall panels 13, 14, 15 and 16 arranged so that an edge of eachabuts the adjacent panel close to its other edge but inwardly thereof,as shown in FIGURE 1. Each panel comprises a plate 17 grooved at 18 toprovide coolant passages, with a face plate 19 and a filler plate 29 ofmetal of good thermal conductivity such as copper, overlying the innerface and an edge of plate 17, respectively. The plate 19 of each panelmakes fiatwise engagement with plate 2.0 of the adjacent panel. Plates19 and 20 are secured to plate 17, respectively, in any convenientmanner.

Each panel includes rails 21 and 22 of channel section extendingtherealong and welded thereto. Rail 22 has gussets 22a on one side.Cross ties 23 extend between the rails at locations spaced therealongand are welded to plate 17. Each panel has a bearing structure 24adjacent the lower end thereof. Such bearing structure includes ahemisphere 25 secured to one of the beams 11 (or one of the girders 12)by screws 26. Slots are formed in the beam flanges and in bottom plates27 of hemisphere 25, at right angles to each other, permitting limitedadjustment of the knob along the beam or normal thereto.

Across bar 28 including a pair of spaced channels, extends between rails21 and 22 adjacent the lower ends thereof. A bearing socket 29 securedto the bottom of the transom by angles 29a fits on hemisphere 25,forming therewith a ball-and-socket joint. A bolt 30 extends through aguide sleeve 31 in the transom, through socket 29 and hemisphere 25 andis threaded into a nut 32 nonrotatably secured within the latter.

As shown in FIGURE 1, the lapping edge of one mold Wall is secured tothe adjacent wall which it abuts by bolts 33. The lapping edge of oneWall has slots 33a therein and the rail 21 of the adjacent wall hassimilar slots. These slots through which bolts 33 are inserted, permitlimited adjustment of one wall along the other when the bolts areloosened.

The lapping edge of each mold wall also has lugs 34 welded thereto.Studs 35 fixed to lugs 34 extend from said lugs and through lugs 36welded to the rail 21 of the adjacent wall. Adjusting nuts 37 on thestud permit pressure or tension to be exerted on the stud to effect theadjustment of the mold walls just described.

Coolant headers 38 on top of the rails of each mold wall communicatewith the upper ends of passages 18 and have a manifold 39 connectedthereto. Similarly, headers 41) communicate with the lower ends ofpassages 18 and have a manifold 41 connected thereto. As shown, threebranch pipes 42 extend from manifold 41, each having its own controlvalve, and enter header 4% which has a separate chamber for each branchpipe. Thus the volume of coolant flow in different areas of the moldwall may be independently controlled.

It will be evident that the angle made by each mold wall with thehorizontal, in two vertical planes at right angles may be adjusted tovary the taper of the mold and thus vary the cross-section of the moldcavity from top to bottom. This is permitted by the overlapping walldesign and the ball-and-socket joint in each bearing structure 24. Thesebearings themselves may also be adjusted along beams 11 and girders 12or toward and from the longitudinal axis of the mold, for dimensionalchanges. When the mold walls have been adjusted, tightening of the bolts33 makes the joints between walls leakproof.

The mold is rigid and sturdy, despite the provision of taper-adjustmentmeans, yet the structure is simple and easy to operate.

Although I have disclosed herein the preferred embodiment of myinvention, I intend to cover as well any change or modification thereinwhich may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of theinvention.

I claim:

1. A mold comprising a fixed support, a plurality of wall panels.extending upwardly therefrom together defining a mold cavity, one edgeof each Wall panel having fiatwise engagement with the inner surface ofan adjacent wall panel, releasable means securing the edges of adjacentwall panels together, a ball-and-socket bearing structure adjacent thelower edge of each wall panel, one part of said bearing structure beingsecured to its wall panel and the other part resting on said fixedsupport.

2. The combination defined in claim 1, characterized by coacting meansmounted on the edges of adjacent walls to effect relative movementtherebetween on release of said securing means.

37The combination defined in claim 1, characterized by each wallcomprising a metal plate having spaced vertical rails extendingexteriorly therealong and secured thereto.

4. The combination defined in claim 3, characterized by said bearingstructure including a cross bar extending between said rails adjacentthe bottom of said plate.

5. The combination defined in claim 3, characterized by lugs spacedalong one rail of each wall, screws extending from the edge of theadjacent wall through said lugs and nuts on said screws engaging saidlugs effective to apply axial stress to the screws.

No references cited.

